Crimson Rose
by DemonicShdAngel
Summary: The Kingdom of Hope was once the most beautiful planet in the whole galaxy until one day the promise on a crimson rose and the death of a loved one changed it all. The Kingdom's only hope is Kaoru getting through to their King. {BxK}
1. Chapter One

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin©.

**Crimson Rose**

**_By DemonicShdAngel_**

            Shadow Kingdom was a land filled with darkness and blood shed.  The lands were created from the bones of those that had died, the soil soaking with blood, its occupants never smiling, and the only light was from the moon that barely came out from the gray clouds that seemed to never leave the sky.  There was no sun to give hope to the people, no true leader that would help them conquer the present Lords that had enslaved the creatures of the Shadow Kingdom, forcing them to work days after days without food or water, even the children were forced to work.  If one wasn't born into a family with power, then they would soon be working in the fields and if they were lucky, for the Leaders in their homes and not on the hot lands picking Black Seeds for their Rulers.

            This was the same all around the world; there was not a single place that accepted people for what they really were, but instead for the money and power that they had.  You were dirt if you weren't born into the right family; kicked, abused, punched, disciplined with whips if you were considered a slave.  There were a total of three levels that one could be, you were either the Dark Lord that controlled the world, the Lords that were his Majesty's advisors, or slaves; there was no in between.  There was no justice, if a lord wanted to kill you then you were as good as dead and he needed no reason whatsoever to order his guards to come and take you away.  The Shadow Kingdom is the only place in the known Universe that's so dark and cruel; there was no sense of real justice on that planet, and if anyone had anything to say about it then they might as well be considered the living dead.

            But this world was not always like that, it was once a beautiful land, a place where humans came to have fun and relax.  The world was once considered the most peaceful and loved place in the galaxy.  In fact it use to be called the Kingdom of Hope for what the planet stood for; life, hope, and equality.  Even if the kingdom had a royal family to help control it and keep it at peace, they were a very kind and understanding family.  Everyone loved the royal family because they understood the hardships of some of the people and always did their best to help them whenever their duties didn't need them.  They were people with warm hearts, and believed in second chances.

How the once promising world became so dark, only one person knows, but that person has never been asked.  You're probably all wondering how this once gorgeous world had changed for the worst, I'll try my best to answer you, but because I don't know all the details you're going to have to find out from the one person that lived through it.  Though I can answer you this, it all began with the promise on a single crimson rose….

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_            The night was gorgeous, the full moon lighting the way as a couple walked side by side holding hands, their eyes showing their love for one another as they both looked around the rose garden.  They were to wed in a week and admit their love to the whole land on their wedding, their hearts beating with happiness as they melted into each other's arms and looked up into the glistening stars that twinkled like their own eyes._

_            "Don't you think that it would be wonderful if our children could grow up and live a life without pain or any hardships anata?" asked the girl as she turned to face the man with sparkling sapphire orbs._

_            "Of course koishii, anything you want will be yours.  I cannot deny you anything, and I promise that our children will see only what we see," said the man, his own amethyst eyes meeting hers as the two rubbed noses._

_            "I wish we could stay like this forever," whispered the girl as she laid her head on the male's chest, her lavender hair tangling with his scarlet locks that was moved to his shoulder from the breeze._

_            "As do I," said the man as he wrapped his arms around the girl's waist, taking in her lovely rosy scent._

_            "Isn't it lovely?" asked the girl as she showed him the red rose that she had picked._

_            "Yes, but never will it be as lovely as you," said the man as he pulled the girl in for a passionate kiss._

_            A shout ruined the moment as the royal guards raced towards the garden, shocking the couple that quickly pulled apart embarrassed._

_            "Prince Kenshin, your Highness and Lady Kamiya must get back to the castle.  There's a madman on the loose and he wants to kill you!" said a guard as he bowed to the two, his other soldiers following suit._

_            "Stand, and make sure that you get the man, but don't kill him," warned Prince Kenshin as he motioned them to stand._

_            "Yes your Majesty," said the General as he stood._

_            But before any of the warriors had a chance to go looking for the man, he came to them.  His anguished cry echoing through the air as the dagger in his hand was thrown straight towards the young Prince._

_            "NO!" shouted Kenshin as the body of his love fell down before him, his arms instinctively catching the lithe body to him as he dropped to his knees._

_            "Hold that man!" shouted the General as his guards captured the insane man that was laughing crazily at the sadness that he had created._

_            "Kaoru…." said Kenshin as he held the body to him, cradling the girl's head in his arms._

_            "K-Kenshin…" began the girl as she lifted the rose, his hands quickly holding her hand and the rose._

_            "Shush…  Don't talk, you're going to be alright," said the Prince as he wiped away the blood that was coming from the right corner of her mouth, trying to suppress the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes._

_            "Promise me Kenshin," whispered Kaoru, as she held her bleeding wound._

_            "Anything, just don't leave me," said Kenshin as he moved his head to her lips._

_            "Promise me that you'll live Kenshin; don't forget me…" said the girl, her teeth stained with blood as a blood soaked hand moved to touch his cheek, leaving behind a red trail on his left cheek, her fingers tracing the two lines there that made a cross shape on his cheek_

_            "I'll never forget you, and I promise you that I will live, for you and me," said Kenshin as tears fell from his cheeks, smearing the blood from his face as he wiped away her hair so that he could see her beautiful pale face clearly._

_            "I love you…" whispered the girl as her hand dropped, the rose falling to the ground with her._

_            "Kaoru!" yelled the Prince as he rocked her body back and forth with his own, not believing that he had lost his only happiness._

_            "That's what you get!  You and your stupid family deserved to suffer, just like the rest of us!" shouted the man that was punched in the stomach by a guard to shut up._

_            Kenshin stopped and carefully placed the body on the ground, taking the dagger that was embedded into it out and delicately picked up the rose._

_            "You don't know what suffering is, your people are treated just like I am, and they too will feel the pain that I've felt, beginning with you," said Prince as he lifted his head, his bangs blown aside by the wind revealing deadly golden eyes._

_            "Your Majesty," began a General, confused by his Prince's words, but stopped when his Lord gave him a cold glare._

_            "You don't have the guts to kill me, you're known for your kind heart.  You'll just warn me and then let me go, and then ruin my life by getting all of the praise of everyone else in the galaxy," spat the man as he threw back his head and laughed but was cut short when the blade was moved into his heart.  His eyes grew wide as he met amber ones._

_            "Wrong….  I'll make them all suffer, everyone one of your class will suffer until the end of time.  Anyone who goes against me will die," said Kenshin as he walked over his lover's body, the rose held tightly in his hands as his guards all bowed to him and took the man's body away_

_            "I will avenge you until the end of time," vowed Kenshin as he bent down and touched her cold cheeks._

_            "What do you want us to do?" asked the General quietly._

_            "Begin by announcing my rule over this world; then kill as many people as you see but allow their blood to soak in the ground until there's not a single place that is not red.  By the promise of this crimson rose, I swear that in the name of Kamiya Kaoru, I will avenge her death to the fullest."_

_            For this very reason, the Prince created the new world in her name, made it so that the class that had ruined his life would forever suffer the pain that he feels inside.  But the prophecy states that once his love returns to him there shall once again be hope in the __Shadow__Kingdom__._

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            "Grandpa Genzai!  You know that that old fairy tale shouldn't be read to Ayame and Suzumi!  They're just children," scolded a girl with long dark violet hair and azure eyes dressed in her blue and white sailor uniform for school.

            The 17-year-old narrowed her eyes at her grandpa who was telling the old story to her younger siblings of eight and six in their room.

            "But we love that story Kaoru!" said Ayame as she jumped up and down on their bed, her little sister chorusing her.

            "It'll give you nightmares, and then I'll have to stay in here with you and not be able to do my homework.  Grandpa, it's nine o'clock, you should be in bed by now.  You're a doctor after all; you should that a man or your age needs rest!  Now you take your tea and go to bed," said Kaoru

            Dr. Genzai only chuckled before nodding and following his granddaughter's orders, but not before winking at the younger ones.

            "You two should know better than to ask for that story," said Kaoru once her father left the small apartment room, it was the best they could get in the big city of Tokyo; three small rooms, two bathrooms, a dining area, and a petite kitchen.  It wasn't much, but they preferred to live simple.

            "But it's our favorite," said Suzumi as she puckered her lips.

            "I know, but it isn't true.  There's no place called Shadow Kingdom," said Kaoru as she picked up the small girl in her pajamas, and placed her on her lap.

            "It's called the Kingdom of Hope…" began Ayame.

            "But turned into the Shadow Kingdom," finished Kaoru, she had memorized the story since she was young; it too had been her favorite.

            "And oneesan is the one that Prince Kenshin loves!" said Ayame with a big smile, which caused Kaoru to sigh in exasperation.

            "Ojiisan has been telling you that version of the story again, hasn't he?" asked Kaoru annoyed, her grandfather had a tendency to place her name in the story, he had always done that to make her smile with glee, though upon growing older it just became irritating.

            "Grandpa always tells us the same story though!  Did Ojiisan tell you another story?" asked Suzumi as she looked up at her sister.

            "No, but…" began Kaoru, but her sisters cut her off.

            "So that means that oneesan is the one in the story!" squealed Ayame.

            Kaoru only shook her head; not wanting to bring their hopes down, she only smiled at their innocence and played along.

            "Oneesan will go to the Shadow Kingdom and restore the hope!" said Suzumi as she hopped off her sister's lap and stood on her bed.

            Laughing out loud, she only grabbed her two sisters by the waist and pulled them down on the bed with her, tickling them until they surrendered.

            "And you tell me not to play around with them," said Dr. Genzai as he entered the room in his night clothes, smiling at the scene before him.

            "Well at least I don't go putting bad images into their minds.  Time for bed you two, you have school tomorrow remember?  Now stop playing around and let me tuck you into bed," said Kaoru as she got off the bed and watched the two scramble to get under the blanket so that she could tuck them in.

            "Good night you three," said their grandfather as he smiled to them all before going into his own room.

            Kaoru only kissed the two on their foreheads before sighing and getting up.  Looking at the pictures of the Kingdom of Hope drawn by her siblings, she only smiled at them before turning off the lights and walking to her own room to finish her homework after she got dressed.

            Closing the door silently behind her, she quickly went towards her closet and changed into her favorite blue night clothes, her school work piled her bed in a huge pile.

            Her eyes suddenly fell on a picture that stood on a small wooden table, her eyes moistening as she saw the picture.  She remembered the day that she and her siblings were at the park with her parents, her dad carrying her on his shoulder as her mother held the younger two in her arms as they all smiled at the camera on that sunny day.

            "I wish you two were here," said Kaoru as she caressed the picture with the tips of her fingers, unconscious tears falling down her cheeks and landing on the picture.

            Wiping the tears from her eyes, she looked closer to the picture and noted that the tear drop that fell on the picture had landed on her red diamond shaped pendant with a golden heart shape in the center.  Her hand instinctively went to the pendant around her neck that was on a silver chain; she could feel the love that was within it for the pendant had come from her ancestors and was passed down from her mother to her.

            "I love you," whispered Kaoru as she kissed the pendant and then placed the photo back on its normal stand.

            Sighing, she lied back down on her bed and got to work on her homework.

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            "Hey Kaoru, what are you doing today?" asked a girl with long black hair in a ponytail as she skipped to catch up with her school friend.

            "Not today Sakura, I need to rest and get some homework done.  Plus I need to study for the test we have tomorrow," said Kaoru as she held her books to her chest and walked along the hallway once the bell rang to signal the end of the day.

            "Don't you have track today?" asked Sakura as she frowned at the overworked girl.

            "I almost forgot about that!  The coach is going to be so mad at me if I'm late again!" realized Kaoru as she picked up her pace and raced towards the track field.

            "You need to relax Kaoru!  No one can do everything," shouted Sakura as she watched her friend scurry away in another direction to try and make it on time.

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            "I'm so sorry sensei!  I completely forgot about today!" said Kaoru as she bowed to the man, hoping that he wouldn't punish her that badly for being late for the third time that week.

            "Just complete one more lap around the track before you go home, and that should be it," said the coach.

            "Yes sensei!" said Kaoru with another bow.

            "Now get back to the rest of the group and finish your warm ups," cried the man as Kaoru nodded and quickly raced to her other team mates, all apologizing for having them wait for her again.

            "Kamiya, try not to be late next time before you get us all in trouble," snapped another girl as the team began to stretch their legs and arms.

            Kaoru only blushed as she finished her warm ups.

            "Next week is the tournament, so I want you all in good shape and on time," said the coach, his eyes looking at Kaoru who looked at the ground.

            "Three laps around the mile track and you guys can go home.  I want it less than 25 minutes," shouted the couch as the students quickly raced towards the track.

            Kaoru ran the fastest so that she could quickly do her last lap and get home, and since she was doing four of them instead of three, she obviously was the last one to return.

            "Last one cleans up," said the coach as he threw the key to the locker rooms at her, where everyone else had already finished dressing and headed home.

            Sighing, she quickly got into the locker room and changed.

            The ringing sound of something dropping caught her attention, her eyes quickly went to the source and she realized that her pendant had dropped from her locker.  She never wore it as she ran just in case it'd fall off.

            "Might as well wear you before I forget you here," said Kaoru to herself as she placed it on and closed her locker, and skipped out of the locker room before locking.

            Placing the key in the coach's mailbox and adjusting her backpack, she moved to go home.

            "That's odd….  The moon's red, I didn't notice that before," said Kaoru as she watched the sun set and saw the outline of the moon in the sky, her head cocking to the side so that the moon's rays hit her pendant perfectly.

            Suddenly a bright red light enveloped her entire body, the air escaping her as she felt herself being lifted from the ground and thrown forward until she felt like she was about to hit a stone wall.

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            Her body ached as she tried to move, her breaths coming to her rigidly as she tried to stand but her body was paralyzed, she couldn't even move her fingertips.  A cold feeling went through her body, her skin prickling as she felt a darkness sweep through her body, could feel herself grow scared for some reason.  Suddenly voices began to run through her head, the words pounding in her ear as her mind tried to register just who was talking to her.

            "Do you think she's alive?" asked a hyper voice as someone touched her shoulder but quickly jumped away.

            "Of course she is weasel girl, otherwise she wouldn't be breathing," snapped a foxy voice.

            "The names Makimachi Misao fox!" snapped back the girl.

            "Well then call me by my real name!" hissed back the other woman.

            "Fine Takani Megumi!" shouted the girl.

            "Please stop arguing you two, we need to get her into the hut before the royal guards come!" said a small girl's voice.

            "Tsubame's right, we better get her in before she gets marked as well," said the one named Megumi.

            "HEY!  She is marked!  Look at her left wrist, it's a red rose!  She's the Dark Lord's slave," said Misao in shock, but was silenced by the other two girls.

            "Shush!  Do you want the whole field hands to know?  We need to wake her up," said Megumi as Kaoru felt pairs of hand grab her limp body and drag her into a shed where she was placed on what felt like a small uncomfortable futon.

            "Do you think that she's paralyzed?" asked Tsubame.

            "She must be….  Misao, get me the jasmine perfume bottle," said Megumi.

            "But we're almost out!  We won't be able to get another bottle until next year!" cried Misao.

            "We need to get her to wake up!" snapped Megumi.

            Kaoru cringed as she felt the thumping of the girl stomping to get the bottle angrily, her body shaking when the girl stomped back with the bottle.  Her noise twitched as she felt a scent go straight into her nostrils sneezing, she suddenly found herself sitting up inside an old hut with three futons, a small table, a few shelves on the wall, and saw that there was hardly any food in the place; it was smaller than her siblings' room.

            "Hello, I'm Megumi," said a woman in a violet kimono that was losing its color, showing that it had been washed over and over again many times; though her ebony locks and red lips made her look beautiful.

            "I'm Misao," said a girl in a green kimono, her braided hair and childlike face making her look energetic.

            "And I'm Tsubame," said the smallest in a yellow kimono, she looked no more than 11 with her polite smile.

            "Who are you, and why were you just lying on the Black Seed Fields?" asked Megumi.

            "I-I…." began Kaoru, but she couldn't quite figure out what to say or what the heck Black Seeds were.  Suddenly, she looked down at herself and nearly fainted again when she realized that she was in a beautiful red silk kimono with gorgeous golden flowers imprinted on it.

            "Are you okay?" asked Tsubame worried as she knelt down beside her.

            "I'm Kamiya Kaoru, and to tell you the truth I don't know how I got here," said Kaoru truthfully as she looked at the old run down cabin.

            "You must have amnesia….  But you're clearly one of the red rose slaves, so therefore you should be in the palace," said Misao as she sat down on the futon next to her.

            "What?" asked Kaoru perplexed; her mind pounding from the thoughts that were going through her head, she could have sworn that she was on her way home just a few minutes ago.

            "Look at your left wrist, you have the symbol of a red rose slave," said Misao.

            Confused and bewildered, Kaoru looked at her wrist and gasped as she saw what looked like a burn mark of a red rose on her left wrist like the girl said, but there was a golden dot in the center shaped like a heart.  Her hand quickly went to her neck, and she sighed in relief as she felt the pendant under her kimono dress.

            "ROLL CALL!" boomed a loud voice from outside, causing all four heads to turn towards the door.

            "Blue violet slaves!" shouted another masculine voice from outside.

            "That's us, you better stay here," said Megumi as she rolled up her sleeves of her left wrist to reveal a blue flower mark, the others doing the same.

            "They're brands," explained Tsubame as she stood up and walked towards the door.

            "So we can never escape, and if we do they'll know who we belong to by looking at our wrists.  You better hide, if they find you you're going to be in deep trouble with his Majesty.  He doesn't like it when his slaves disobey him and run away," warned Misao as she stood and followed the girls out of the hut.

            Kaoru confused by what was happening so quickly, only nodded and only got into the futon and lied as still as she could as her mind went in circles.  She didn't know how the heck she got here, why she was in such a nice kimono, how she got the mark on her wrist, and why they called her a red rose slave….  Holding her head from the pounding thoughts she took in a deep breath and closed her eyes.  But the sound from outside made her hold her breath.

            "Everyone is here sir," said a small yet powerful voice from outside.

            "Which one of you slaves are holding the red rose slave here?  Speak up before we raid your homes!  If we find her in your hut you're spend the rest of your lives in the mines finding crystals and coal!" threatened another deeper voice.

            Kaoru closed her eyes and swore that they'd be able to hear her breathe if not hear her heartbeat.  She hadn't wanted to cause any trouble, and she could have sworn that she wasn't here but on the track field.  Praying that the royal guards wouldn't find her and punish her saviors, she moved a hand over her pendant wishing that some god out there would help her.

            "YOU GIRL, tell me where the disobedient slave is!" snapped the man that Kaoru could on presume was the leader of the royal guard.

            "I don't know sir," said Tsubame's quiet voice.

            "Speak up wench!" yelled the man as a loud slap was heard.

            "I DON'T KNOW SIR!" shouted Tsubame.

            "That's better, now do any of you other worthless slaves have anything to tell us?" asked the smaller voice from before.

            "No sir!" chorused the group of what seemed like hundreds of people.

            "No?  Then search the huts until that wench is found!  If you're in there girl, then come out before the ones that are protecting you get tortured," shouted the leader of the royal guards.

            Shivering from the thought, Kaoru slowly got out from under the futon.  Trembling fingers moved away the blanket as she got out of the futon.

            "So be it!  Search the huts!" cried the man.

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            "We're going to be in for it if they find her," whispered Misao as she stood up straight in the second row with Tsubame and Megumi to either side of her.

            "SHHH!" hissed Megumi as she nudged her friend; they had to have hope even if she knew that the royal guards would find Kaoru, a futon never hid anyone.

            "This is going to be our last time being able to see the moon," said Tsubame as unconscious tears fell down her cheeks; her face lifted towards the red moon that was quickly setting.

            "Don't think like that, maybe she'll come forward herself," said Misao, although she highly doubted it, the girl seemed more like the kind to bring others down with her.  Those red rose slaves were all cruel to other slaves, for they considered themselves in a higher position than other slaves.

            Megumi scanned the land that she had been born on, her eyes moistening as she realized that today might be the last day that she would ever be able to step foot on the red soil, feel the heat on her skin, see the sky grow dark, or watch the red moon set beautifully.  Her eyes fell on the rows and rows of Black Seeds that grew within the center of black flowers that they had planted from regular brown seeds.  Even if her life was cruel, hard, and treated her unfairly, she still loved the land before her, for it was also the place where all her loved memories came from.  Here was the place that she had held hope in her heart, where she had seen her parents die for their rights, and where she had learned the art of medicine and helped so many other slaves like her.

            Looking at the younger two, she felt sorry for them, they still haven't had a long enough life.  If only they hadn't brought the red rose slave into their hut, but she knew that her parents would be disappointed if she hadn't.  In the end she would never regret anything that she had ever done, she wasn't content, but she was glad that she had at least lived a better life than the yellow daisy slaves and the green clover slaves.  All in all she had a life that was cruel and precious.

            "You don't have to look anymore, I surrender," said a loud voice from behind her, snapping the three girls out of their thoughts and turn around to see the sapphire eyed girl standing behind them a weak smile at them.

            "So, you've finally decided to come out eh?  Stop the search!  Who was hiding you?" asked the leader with his black mustache and beard in a black and red gi and hakama, a sword hanging to his left as he looked at the girl.

            "I was hiding myself, and I demand to be brought back to his Majesty," said Kaoru with her chin sticking out as she watched the man look her over with a cocked eyebrow.

            "Who do you think you are slave?  You should learn your place!" snapped a shorter and skinnier man in the same outfit as the leader.

            Kaoru was about to answer the question when the leader grabbed her left wrist tightly so that she couldn't struggle her way out of his firm hold.

            "Let go of me!" shouted Kaoru as she tried to twist her arm but to no use.

            The leader did as he was told, and stepped back from the girl a bit shocked as Kaoru held her pained wrist in her right hand.

            "What's the matter?" asked the smaller man as he looked towards his leader for an answer.

            "She's not an ordinary red rose slave," said the man as he backed away from the girl.

            All the servants turned from their straight rows and faced the girl and the leader of that particular royal guard party.

            "What do you mean sir?" asked the other guard.

            "She's the Crimson Rose of his Highness, she has the golden heart in the center of her mark," said the leader as she bowed to the girl lightly.

            The others quickly caught on and the guards all bowed as the slaves got to their knees and bowed to the new girl, Tsubame, Misao, and Megumi giving each other looks before following suit.

            "Crimson Rose?" questioned Kaoru, her mind swirling with confusion as she felt nauseas.

            "Get her!" was the last thing that she heard before she fell unconscious again.

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**_A/N: Thank you all for reading; I'd really appreciate all of your advices on how to make this story better._**


	2. Chapter Two

**Crimson Rose**

_**Written By DemonicShdAngel**_

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_**Disclaimer:**_ I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

**_Side Note:_ **Their clothes is basically like the ones that you see in RK the anime.

_**Ages:**_

Kaoru: 17-years-old

Kenshin: 28-years-old

Megumi: 21-years-old

Misao: 16-years-old

Tsubame: 11-years-old

**_Slave Rankings:_**

Red Rose Slaves...Work in the palace for the Dark Lord.

Orange Lily Slaves...Work in the homes of the Lords.

Blue Violet Slaves...Work in the Black Seed Fields.

Yellow Daisy Slaves...Work in the factories that are used to turn Black Seeds into a power source.

Green Clover Slaves...Work in the mines searching for coal and crystals.

_**Chapter Two**_

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Sapphire orbs were revealed as the people within what seemed like a carriage with velvet cushioning all smiled at the girl with what seemed like extreme relief that she had awaken. The 17-year-old looked up from her position in lying on one side of the carriage, sitting up she realized that she was in the same carriage as the two royal guardsmen that had hurt her saviors. She glared at them angrily for what they did, but made sure that she didn't yell at them just in case they would hurt her too.

"We're glad that you've awaken Crimson Rose," said the Leader of the royal guard of the area that she was just in; he smiled at her apologetically, hoping that she wouldn't tell their Dark Lord how inappropriately they had acted towards her.

"Where am I, and why are you calling me the Crimson Rose?" asked Kaoru confused as she looked at the two for answers.

"You're in Shadow Kingdom, and headed towards the royal palace where you'll be able to reunite with Lord Ken…. I mean Lord Battousai," said the second in command who sat beside the other man.

"Shadow Kingdom…but that's just a legend…" said Kaoru barely above a whisper as her hand went instinctively to her neck as she touched the pendant that still hung around her neck.

"What did you say my Lady?" asked the Leader.

"Nothing, but why am I different from the other red rose slaves?" asked Kaoru as she cocked her head at them; taking both of them by surprise.

"You must have bumped your head and forgotten, maybe that's why you were in the Black Seed fields. Well, the reason is because your wrist has a mark of a rose and only the Crimson Rose has a golden heart shape within the red rose. As Crimson Rose you are the Dark Lord's Mistress," explained the second in command, the man seemed a bit uneasy in her presence.

Kaoru couldn't believe her ears, she was now positive that for some reason she had fallen into her favorite night time story since the day she had first heard it from her mother. But in the story the Prince was very young and it's been close to 12 years since she'd first heard it...it meant that the Prince had to be at least 40; that was if he really was 28 when her mother had told her the story... She shuddered at the thought that she was to be with a man that old; she was only 17! They'd be 23 years apart and she wasn't sure that she would want to be with anyone that she didn't know.

"Are you feeling alright my Lady?" asked the Leader as he looked at her, concerned for her health; if anything happened to her it'd be on his head and he sure as hell didn't want to get on His Majesty's bad side.

"How much longer before I return to the palace?" asked Kaoru as she tried to act as normal as she could so that they wouldn't suspect her.

"In a few minutes; we sent a recruit ahead to announce your return," said the second in command.

"Good," lied Kaoru calmly as she sat back into her seat and just stared off out at the window; the planet looked just like she had imagined it for over a decade.

The two men traded smiles as the carriage that was dragged by two white horses trotted towards the black castle on the hill; their destination.

ˆˆˆˆˆˆˆ

"Impudent creature; are you questioning me? I did not choose a Crimson Rose, and there isn't one and there will never be one! My Crimson Rose died long ago, and no one is going to take her place not ever. You're a fool, and this girl that they're bringing should be killed for trying to impersonate her!" shouted a man in a large thrown room as he glared at the two cowering soldiers who were bowing on the ground to their King.

"But Lord Battousai, she has the golden heart within her red rose mark," said the taller of the two soldiers, as he bowed so low that his forehead touched the back of his hand.

"I made no such mark on anyone!" said the red haired King, his voice dropping dangerously in volume as it sent shivers down his soldiers' spine.

The King of Shadow Kingdom glared at his men with enraged golden orbs that seemed to be sucking the very light of the room, causing the Throne Room to become nothing but darkness. Black silk covered his skin as his red cape engulfed his frame like blood; his hands clenched in anger at the news that was given to him.

Tracing the single cross-shaped scar that was on his left cheek with his left forefinger, he shut his eyes as the tension in the room grew.

"Bring the maiden to me," ordered the King, the command in his voice causing the two soldiers to spring to their feet and bow to him with their heads before they left to do as they were told.

Standing up, he allowed his crimson cape to fall to the floor as he walked towards the windows that were covered with red velvet curtains. Opening the curtains, his eyes looked out towards his land and then up towards the sky to the red moon.

"I still haven't forgotten you koishii, and I vow to you that I never will; no one will," said Battousai his voice echoing through the darkness.

ˆˆˆˆˆˆˆ

Kaoru stared at the infamous Black Castle, her eyes widening just like a child's when they first go to a fair. She could feel a dark aura from within, but she could also feel that something wasn't right. There was a reason behind the darkness of this place, and she was close to tears as she remembered the old tale that her mother had told her before.

"Watch your step," said the Leader as he helped her out of the carriage so that she could see the castle up close.

"Welcome to Black Castle my Lady," said the second in command with a smile to Kaoru as they walked towards the stone doors.

Kaoru nearly screamed as the doors swung open and two pale soldiers rushed out, stopping only to glare at Kaoru as if she had ruined their lives.

"What happened?" asked the Leader, and leaned in when one of the shorter of the two soldiers whispered something into his ears.

"Let's get you inside," said the co-leader as he led Kaoru to Black Castle's entrance.

"What about…." Began Kaoru, but the Leader only forced a smile and nodded for her to enter.

Confused and unsure on what to do, Kaoru could only follow the other man to where she could only presume was where the King was.

"Why aren't there any guards within the castle?" asked Kaoru curiously as she looked around and only noticed the lovely decorations inside the castle.

"Our Lord doesn't need any," said the taller man as he led her into a large hallway that was at least twice the size of the small cabin that she had just been in a few hours ago.

"What if the castle was raided?" asked Kaoru as her eyes wandered the corridors.

"The fools who have tried before have been executed in the cruelest ways possible. The people know better than to try and go up against His Majesty," answered the man when they reached a twin set of black stone doors; in the very center was a carving of a rose.

"Wow," was all that Kaoru could get out of her mouth as she saw the marvelous doors open to reveal a dazzling chamber and even the aura within was outstanding.

The dark room was lit by the red moon outside, giving the entire Throne Room a mysterious and scary feel, yet there was a warm presence that gave the room a comfortable feeling. At first the 17-year-old could have sworn that the room was filled with tension, but the moment that she felt the rays of the moon fall onto her skin she immediately felt the feeling leave her. Eyes wandering the room curiously, she nearly jumped when a deep and charming voice spoke up.

"Leave the room."

'That's not the sound of an old man…. I wonder how long it's been since his real love passed away…' Thought Kaoru as the voice drifted through the entire Throne Room.

Kaoru's eyes searched frantically around the room for the source of the voice but found nothing but shadows all around her. She nearly wanted to leave with the soldier, but forced herself to stand still as the doors closed shut after the man bowed and left.

"Y-your Majesty, you and I both know that I'm not the Crimson Rose. I-I'm sure that you'd have known that something was up, well b-because you obviously didn't place this mark on anyone…" began Kaoru, but shivered when she felt the wind against her body.

Moving trembling hands against her arms, sapphire orbs tried to make out the rest of the room and the source of the voice that sent shivers down her spine, yet at the same time excited her for reasons unknown. Looking around, she thanked the Heaven's that the moon was out to allow her to make out the faintest details of the room. Scanning the ground, she knew that the carpet was red; the walls were made of stone, and with the dim light she could make out the single large throne made of what seemed like gold in the back of the room, the rays of the moon directed right at it.

"Why are you so scared, koishii?" asked a youthful voice right next to her left ear, causing the teenager to jump and turn around but saw nothing but the overwhelming darkness all around her.

Heart pounding in her ears she took a few steps back, her hands clutched her heart as she moved deeper into the red light that cascaded her entire form from above.

"Crimson Rose," said the masculine voice as if unbelieving that she was actually before him.

"I-I'm not the Crimson R-rose," said Kaoru, trying to sound seriously calm but failing terribly as her voice wavered.

"But you're Kaoru, you're my Crimson Rose."

Kaoru's breath caught as her eyes widened when the King of Shadow Kingdom revealed himself in the moonlight.

**

* * *

**

A/N: I know it's short, but I really wanted to get this out. Plenty of errors, I know, but I'll try and revise my stories once I get the chance.


	3. Chapter Three

** Author's Note:** My apologies for not updating for a while, but my computer decided to die and I have been studying nonstop for Finals. I just got back my computer for a week now and I haven't been able to get on Internet until now, and during that week I've been writing for you guys. I really do hope that you all like this, and my sincere apologies to my Online Sisters for not being able to write you guys anything but this for a while.

**Note:** I redid Chapter Two since I placed that Kenshin had two scars in the first chapter but accidentally placed only one in the second one; it's also been reedited too.

** Disclaimer:** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

** Crimson Rose**

**_ Written By DemonicShdAngel_**

**_ Chapter Three_**

* * *

He couldn't believe it. After years of mourning over her death and creating a world in her name, she was once again before him. His fiancée was right here; living and breathing before his very eyes. Nevertheless he couldn't bring himself to fully believe that she was alive; he'd witness her die yet here she was. For once, the Ruler of the Shadow Kingdom couldn't find the words to describe how he felt, let alone explain the emotions that were slowing returning to him at the mere sight of his Crimson Rose. 

Finally, after just staring at the familiar maiden before him, Lord Battousai stepped out from the shadows and allowed himself to be seen through the red moonlight.

The Dark Lord couldn't help but smirk as he saw innocent sapphire orbs widen from shock as they laid eyes on his features.

He wasn't the tallest man in his kingdom, but his dark aura and piercing eyes made up for that. With his blood-like hair and cross shaped scar on his left cheek, he was quite the person to look at, but certainly not someone to mess with.

"Welcome back, Crimson Rose," was all that was needed to snap the lavender-haired beauty from her thoughts.

He almost chuckled when he saw her jump from surprise at how deep his voice had gotten; he himself was surprised at how soft he had sounded when he greeted her again.

"Welcome home, Kamiya Kaoru."

ˆˆˆˆˆˆˆ

"What happened to the Crimson Rose?" asked the Leader once his second in command stepped out of the huge castle; he'd been eager to find out if what his other soldiers had said was true.

"Lord Battousai ordered me to leave the room," answered the other truthfully.

"Did he snap out at her before you left?" asked the taller of the two soldiers that had been sent to give the message to their King earlier.

"Of course not, why would he? She is his Crimson Rose after all," said the co-leader of the group.

The other three exchanged glances before falling deep into thought.

"What's going on?" asked the deputy confused.

"Well…these two said that Lord Battousai told them that he didn't give the Crimson Rose mark to anyone…" began the Leader of one of the many Royal Guards.

"That's absurd! We saw the marking with our own eyes!" defended the man that had led Kaoru to see their Dark Lord.

"I know, but what if she's going to get…well…. Impersonating a person such as Lady Kamiya will most certainly not go passed the King. You know how His Majesty cherished her," reminded the Leader.

The second in command frowned at his superior's words and looked back at the castle in which he just left one last time before he followed his Commander back to their duties of counting all the slaves in the area that they looked after.

ˆˆˆˆˆˆˆ

Pacing across the small hut, the 16-year-old began to bite her fingernails as the red moon disappeared from the sky to allow the black clouds to take over and cover their half of the planet in complete darkness.

Due to the lack of light, all of the servants were sent in from the fields for their break until chosen slaves had lit the torches that were placed along the rows of Black Flowers. They wouldn't get a chance to sleep or rest again until at least 1,000 large baskets of Black Seeds were filled.

"Will you stop pacing around, Misao? You're giving me a headache," complained Megumi as she worked on placing her newly made medicine into small bottles for later use.

"I can't help it! I just feel…" began the blue violet slave as she sat down cross legged next to Megumi in the center of their small home.

"Guilty?" finished Tsubame for her as she handed them each their daily piece of bread and a cup of water that she'd just gotten from the soldiers that patrolled the area.

Misao glared at her friend as Tsubame entered the hut with their food, but nodded in thanks when she was handed the small slice of wheat bread and the tiny cup of water.

"Well I'm glad that you feel that way," began Megumi and continued before Megumi could question her, "You did think that she would betray us by staying inside our hut until the guards found her. In the end she proved you wrong, and you didn't want to help her when she was helpless!"

"You can't blame me! She's a rose slave after all. How was I supposed to know that she was _the_ Crimson Rose? Plus, we saved her and she saved us, so therefore we're even," said Misao as she looked down at her bread and began taking little bites of it.

"But for some reason…I really don't think that she was His Majesty's Mistress…." Tsubame whispered as she kept her gaze on the dirtied cup of water in her hands.

"Why would you say that, Tsubame-chan?" asked Megumi as she looked up from her work to stare at the 11-year-old.

"Well… She just didn't seem to fit the part. I mean…Kaoru-san looked really…really innocent. I don't think that she's ever really done anything hard; her hands weren't as calloused as ours and…why haven't we heard of a Crimson Rose until now? I mean, if she were once a red rose slave, her hands would have to show some sign of doing hard labor," stated Tsubame as she looked up at her older peers.

Megumi and Misao looked at one another before falling into complete silence.

"I'm just as confused as you are, Tsubame-chan. There has not been a single mention of a Crimson Rose for ages. The last one died centuries ago," said Misao as she looked at Megumi to explain the rest.

"There has only been mention of one Crimson Rose and even then she died as a virgin," added the female doctor as she bottled up the last of her medicine and stood up to place them on one of the shelves in their home.

"Wait…wouldn't that mean that Lord Battousai would be well of a hundred years old? Or is he the descendent of the past King?" asked Tsubame confused as she cocked her head.

A dreadful quiet surrounded the hut as Misao bit her lower lip and pondered if they should tell the child the truth about their Ruler.

"Tsubame-chan… Lord Battousai has been the Ruler of the Shadow Kingdom for the past five centuries; our King is trapped in the age of 28 for the rest of eternity until the curse is broken." Megumi watched as Tsubame's eyes grew wide from the new information that she had required.

"What? How? I don't understand," said Tsubame once her mind registered just what she had been told.

"Lord Battousai was cursed by a witch that he killed, but before she died she placed a spell on him that would keep at the same age as well as forbid him from ever dying; to make sure that he never went on to the after life to join his beloved in the Realm of the Dead. The witch made his lives, and ours, a living Hell," snarled Misao darkly as she clenched her fists in her lap. If the witch hadn't cursed their King, then they probably wouldn't be treated lower than animals.

"But then again, our Lord will also forever have to suffer with the thought of never being able to see his love again," stated Megumi as she sat back down besides her fellow blue violet slaves.

"Not anymore," said Tsubame with a frown, "another Crimson Rose has been made. So that means that he has moved on; he won't be suffering anymore; only us."

The other two woman gasped as realization hit them.

"Maybe this Crimson Rose will be able to make the King nice again, and break the curse," said Misao hopefully as she gave the others a weak smile.

"But no one knows what needs to be done for the curse to break, not even Lord Battousai himself," reminded Megumi.

Before the others could reply to that, a large gong was heard, indicating that their break was over. Groaning, the girls left their hut and conversation behind as they went back to work.

ˆˆˆˆˆˆˆ

Kaoru could only stare at the man before her as he spoke her name so familiarly. Her breathing began to go rigid as she shook her head and took a step back in disbelief. There was no way that she was going to be this man's Mistress. From the stories that she had heard and from what she had just experience earlier, the being before her was ruthless as well as merciless. She could not bring herself to serving a man such as him.

"I'm not your Crimson Rose," said Kaoru as she looked at Battousai straight in the eyes.

"But you're Kamiya Kaoru, are you not?" asked Battousai, his voice steady and all too confident.

The teenager shook her head frantically as she took a step back for every single one that he took forward.

"That might be my name, but we both know that I'm not who you think I am; I'm not the one that you lost all those years ago. I'm not your fiancée," Kaoru whispered as she felt a shiver run down her spine from the dark eyes that stared at her.

"You are…you're Kamiya Kaoru, you're one of a kind, you're my Crimson Rose; my Mistress," whispered Battousai as he stared at her with blank eyes and stopped when he realized that the closer he got the further she went out of his reach.

"No I'm not!" Kaoru practically shouted as she balled her fists to stop herself from shaking; she couldn't understand why he wouldn't admit that his love was dead and that she was someone else? Especially when he had all the proof?

Battousai froze in his tracks and captured sapphire eyes with his own honey colored ones before turning around and looking out of the window that revealed the red moon setting. He knew that she was right, but in his heart he didn't want her to be. The one thing that he wanted to come true could never be, and for that reason alone he became like a spoiled brat and didn't allow anyone to be happy because he himself wasn't.

"Please understand that you've got to move on, Your Highness. I know that you loved her very much and her death caused your great despair, but you didn't need to make the others, whom once looked up to you with trust and loyalty, suffer with you," whispered Kaoru as she stared at Battousai's back almost pleadingly.

Kaoru almost dreaded the response that she would receive and knew that by saying what she had, she was risking her very life, but for some reason she knew that the man before her would never hurt her. It was amazing how much trust she had given this man even though they've barely known each other for a few minutes. Then again, this was the same man that had remained loyal to someone that he dearly loved, and in her mind anyone that could love couldn't be that evil.

"They were the ones that killed her, so therefore I have the right to make them suffer the consequences for what they did," defended Battousai as he turned around to face her with glowing amber eyes that seemed to be lit by an inner fire.

Kaoru glared back at the older man defiantly as her own anger began to spark from the way that he was thinking.

"Do you really think that she would want you to honor her death by killing people in her name; having them suffer because of her death that was caused by her wanting to save you due to her love for you?" demanded Kaoru as she kept her eyes locked with the redhead.

Before she could continue, her words were cut off when she felt her lungs being crushed against something warm and solid. Kaoru gasped as she realized that she was being pulled into a hug by the Ruler of the Shadow Kingdom. She stopped her struggle to get free when she felt him shivering against her as he shook his head in her hair that had somehow become loose and had fallen down her back in a cascade of black.

"Kaoru," was all that she heard before she noticed that his one of his arms was wrapped around her waist and the other around her neck. Slowly she felt her world growing dark as she felt pressure on her neck and could feel herself collapse on the golden eyed King of the kingdom that was once known as the Kingdom of Hope.

* * *

A/N: A longer chapter than usual and I hope that you all enjoyed it. If you guys really don't like it, then just tell me and I'll delete it. There's no point in me writing something that people don't like. 


	4. Chapter Four

** Disclaimer:** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

**Crimson Rose**

**_ Written By DemonicShdAngel_**

**_ Chapter Four_**

* * *

Her heart was pounding, her lungs were panicking for air, her head was pulsing, and that was when she knew. She knew the feeling too well, knew the feel of not being able to go into consciousness even when her mind was functioning correctly like the back of her hand. This had happened too many times to her before. She was completely paralyzed from head to toe. Even if she wanted to open her eyes, she couldn't. She couldn't move. 

The moment the spell placed upon her body seemed to lift, her had immediate went to the pendant. Her hand stayed on the fabric above the necklace and she knew that she was no longer in the kimono she found herself in, in the slaves' cabinet. For once, she didn't want to know what happened and how she got changed. She had a feeling it had to do with the redheaded King that ruled the Shadow Kingdom. After all, he was the one that caused her to become immobile in the first place.

Slowly sitting up, the teenager looked down at her new wardrobe and wasn't very surprised to find herself in a white yukata with her wet lavender locks flowing down to her waist. Every inch of her felt clean, pure, and even the dirt that had been in her nails were now gone. She hadn't expected to find herself washed up so nicely, yet still she felt nothing.

Remembering that the castle that she had entered had red rose slaves to do all the work, Kamiya Kaoru had the impression that the slaves had most likely cleansed her. She frowned at the thought.

Tiredly, Kaoru lay back down on the soft bed she had been resting on and closed her eyes. She felt drained and looking at the elaborate decorated room didn't seem to interest her anymore. It was as if someone had sucked all happiness out of her.

Should any of the slaves have entered, she was sure that they would have screamed. She knew that the way she was dressed made a great contrast to the black sheet covered bed and knew that her face was probably as white as her yukata. It wouldn't bother her if the slaves thought she was dead. Her humor had left her in her sleep.

Gradually, Kaoru opened her eyes and looked up at the black curtained canopy above her. Not a single ray of moonlight entered the room, then again it could have been morning, but the darkness of the room betrayed none of it. There were no lit candles to help her see, but her eyes had somehow adjusted enough for her to be able to see in the black room. The furniture and items in the rest of the room were probably black as well, otherwise such a dark shade of a color that no one could tell.

Kaoru didn't know why she didn't feel odd that she had awoken in another's room. If it had been another other time while she was still back home, she would have thought that she had a nightmare, but she her mind knew better this time. She knew, because the bruise at her neck was still pulsing where Battousai had met her skin. There was no point in building false hope.

What would have scared her though—if she were in the right state of mind--was that she wasn't afraid at what could happen to her in her vulnerable stage. For some odd reason, she had given up before she even tried to fight against the beast she knew lurked around in the castle. She knew she wouldn't win.

Now as she laid waiting for her fate, she felt weak and bored, despite the fact that so much should have been running through her head at the moment. Of course she remembered everything, but what made her who she was had vanished. Her spirit, her soul, and her ability to feel for others had abandoned her completely. Nothing was left. Only memories she felt nothing for remained within her mind, but not touched her unfeeling heart. They were just there, taking up space.

At one point in her life, the sound of the door opening while she lay vulnerable on the other side would have terrified her, but now she didn't even flinch in recognition to the noise. Subconsciously, she knew there wouldn't have been a sound at all if the person who entered didn't do it on purpose to announce his arrival.

The Crimson Rose merely kept her eyes fixed on the canopy while the shadow of her host moved over to her with a silent grace worthy of the gods.

"I'm glad to see you awake, koishii," the deep and rich voice finally spoke after a few moments.

Turning her head ever so slightly, she was able to meet the same pair of glaring gold she had seen earlier when she was capable of feeling sympathy for the man. Those same eyes looked over her figure once more before meeting her own ocean depths again. The smirk on his red lips met his eyes all too well.

Seconds later, Battousai lay beside her, his weight not disturbing the balance of the bed at all. Had his flaming auburn hair not stood out, it would have seemed to any slave that was careless enough to enter the room that only Kaoru laid there. For his dark clothing allowed him to blend into the night all too easily.

Reluctantly, Kaoru closed her eyes again as a pale white and slender finger brushed her drying hair behind her ears. With each light brush against her skin, she could her body unconsciously shiver. The warmth that came along with the chill left the Crimson Rose in a daze of inward delight. It was like nothing she had experienced before. She could feel a sense of comfort and security return to her in a flood of delight when a pair of possessive arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her into a firm lap.

Not wanting to fight the feeling, Kaoru leaned into Battousai's chest willingly. All that mattered at the moment were the emotions that were currently consuming her along with the darkness around her.

ˆˆˆˆˆˆˆ

"I still don't believe it," whispered Battousai's most trusted Captains and old friend while he stared out the window of his mansion; it was beyond midnight from the way the moon was slowly beginning to set. Out of habit, the chocolate haired man ran a hand through his spikes, making him resemble the appearance of a rooster.

"You saw it, I saw it; everyone saw it. What don't you believe, Sagara?" asked the third Captain of the Royal Guard calmly after taking a long drag of his cigar.

Sagara Sanosuke sighed while he walked across his study and sat down behind his wooden desk, which faced the window he had just been staring at. His eyes fell to the man with the same look of a wolf and ignored his amber eyes to look out the window again. He might not have been a part of the King's Royal Guard, but he was one of the most respected men in Shadow Kingdom for being able to befriend their dark ruler. None of it would have been possible if he didn't happen to be the Crimson Rose's brother.

"She can't have returned. But I know what I saw. The girl that Lord Battousai was carrying was undoubtedly the splitting image of my younger sister, but it's impossible. Suppose she did survive the attack, she would have died of old age! The only reason we're still alive is because that damn curse," growled Sano before rubbing his aching head. He never did like thinking so much, especially at such a late hour.

Hajime Saitou blew a ring of smoke into the air before he stood up straight after leaning against one of the poles near the doorway. He walked passed the many book shelves that aligned the walls and sat before the younger man with his cigar between his fingers with practiced perfection.

"I would prefer not having to talk to you at all Sagara, but I have no choice. As two of the five Captains that control the Royal Guard, we need to keep the slaves in order before they even think to start a rebellion. The General, Battousai, has ordered us to take care of that before we seek him again. If you wish to examine and see if the Crimson Rose really is genuine, then let's get moving," said Saitou as he crushed the remains of his addiction on the ashtray that Sano had placed on his desk when the cigar got shorter.

Giving in before he could take back his decision, Sano stood up.

He walked a few steps to the exit before stopping and turning to look at Saitou again.

"Where are we heading to first?" asked Sano, finally realizing he had no idea where they should start.

"To the Black Seed Fields of course you moron. Unless you want to choke to death in the mines with those green clover slaves," snorted Saitou as he stood up in his blue and white hakama and gi, his sword hanging at his hip threateningly; indicating to those that saw him that he was not one to mess with.

Rolling his eyes, Sano led the way in his own white attire towards the stallions that awaited them outside of his manor. If all went well, he'd be able to see his sister look alike before the end of the day. His job would be simple enough, as long as the slaves didn't create any problems. But first, he was going to see to the Black Seed Field in which they had found the girl. Hopefully he'd be able to find some truth there before he headed back.

ˆˆˆˆˆˆˆ

Misao stood up and stretched her aching limbs from having to bend over all night and collect the Black Seeds into her basket. She wasn't going to be able to get any sleep unless she filled hers and at the moment it was only three quarters full. Regardless the night air being slightly cold, Misao could still feel her perspiration slowly trickle down her back and certain parts of her body. She groaned at the odor she was producing and knew that taking a bath in the river nearby would be out of the question.

Looking around her, she noticed that each row in which the Black Seeds grew were occupied and not a few rows to her right was Tsubame and two more down was Megumi.

"Get back to work you worthless slave!" barked out one of the guards around the fields when he noticed Misao had stopped picking.

Misao bit back a scream as the familiar crack of the whip hit her left shoulder. Apologizing quickly, the teenager went back to work, furiously trying to collect her basket full so she could go to bed. If her life and other's weren't on the line, she would have slapped and screamed at all of the guards that dared hurt her and her friends. She was smart enough to know that she could never do such a think, for she'd be risking torture for not just herself, but her everyone else in her quadrant as well.

Ignoring the biting pain and the blood that seeped through her rags near her left shoulder, Misao hissed when another whip hit her shoulder again. She could feel the whip dig through her flesh and leave behind a trail of blood where it had connected with her skin. The defiant slave knew what the guard wanted and she wasn't going to give the scumbag the benefit of seeing her cry from the agony that ripped through her body with each lash at her skin.

The guard didn't stop his assault until he made the slave shake so much that her basket tipped over when her right hand moved to touch her badly bleeding shoulder.

Smirking, the man shouted out, "Pick them up! You won't be getting any sleep unless you pick each and every seed up!"

Mumbling a 'Yes, sir', the blue violet slave complied; wincing each time she had to slightly move her left should to get the basket that dropped from her hold. If the pain hadn't gotten to her, she wouldn't have been so careless as to let her only escape for the day fall to the ground and scatter.

Sighing, Misao knew that she was going to have to deal with the blood that clung to her skin and rags until she could sneak off to the river for a bath. By then, the blood would have become permanent. It was what she got for being so careless as to stop and stretch even for a second.

Just as she finished collecting the fallen seeds, the ringing of the gong echoed through the fields making the blue violet slaves rush out of the fields and drop their pickings into the carts that aligned the front and back of the fields.

After dropping off her batch, Misao raced towards where the others were rushing to stand in perfect rows like they always did for roll call.

"Are you alright, Misao?" whispered the younger slave as Megumi followed to stand next to their injured friend.

Nodding reassuringly, Misao gave them a smile while the two watched the blood spot of her close expand. Making sure that the pain didn't reach her face, the teenager looked straightforward for the others to do the same.

It was then that she saw two Captains with the King's golden dragon medallion on their obis, ride on their brilliant black horses down the aisle between the two large groups that the slaves had put themselves in for each roll call. The Captains' eyes moved up and down the rows on either side, the height of the horses making them seem more intimidating than normal.

Misao was too busy looking at the horses as one of them stopped in front of her, since she was the first in her row, that she didn't notice the pair of brown orbs looking at her. She had never seen a horse this close before, let alone any of the other creatures. So intrigued was she that her entire attention was on the magnificent beast. The slave took a step back when the nostrils of the horse suddenly flared and its eyes stared at her expectantly.

Finally looking up, Misao avoided the gaze of the Captain that loomed over her. She averted her gaze to the clouds behind him while she moved her face in his line of sight. Slaves were killed for looking straight in the eyes of their superior; it wasn't uncommon either that slaves were killed for such a mistake.

"Milord," said Misao finally when she noticed that the man wasn't about to move on. She gave a bow and couldn't help but wince visibly when she had to move her left shoulder to bow.

Misao closed her eyes and waited for someone to lash out at her physically for not bowing earlier, but to her relief and utter shock, the blow never came.

ˆˆˆˆˆˆˆ


	5. Chapter Five

**Story Note: **I thought I would explain something about the Royal Guards. One is the King's private Royal Guard and another is the Royal Guard known to the entire Shadow Kingdom. Then there are also Royal Guards for particular areas, but the highest rank is considered Leader instead of Captain. Sanosuke and Saitou are part of the Royal Guard that has to look after the overall kingdom instead of just a section of it like the other group of Royal Guards, while Battousai's Royal Guards are a select group of men that are well skilled and work undercover. Basically, one is the main Royal Guard and the other Royal Guards are smaller branches of the main Royal Guard; the King's Royal Guard is a completely different group altogether.

In Order of Most Powerful to the Least:

_King_

_Crimson Rose_

_King's Royal Guard_

_Main Royal Guard_

_Subdivision Royal Guards_

_Lords/Nobles_

_Slaves (Refer to Chapter Two Notes for specific order.)_

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

** Crimson Rose**

**_Written By DemonicShdAngel_**

**_Chapter Five_**

* * *

The Crimson Rose sat in the King of Shadow Kingdom's lap and stared off into the darkness. Her eyes having already adjusted allowed her to make out the details of the room. In front of her there was a mirror that reflected the moon's glow on a black stand and to its right a water basin. Further to the right was a screen and to the far left was the door that led into the room. Not wanting to move from her spot to eye the rest of the room, Kaoru stared into the mirror.

Pale fingers that seemed like ice stroked her midnight locks and she once again closed her eyes. The very presence of the one behind her made her shiver. He wasn't at all like any of the others she had met in Shadow Kingdom; he was someone that was to be either respected or feared.

"Cold?" asked the seemingly enchanting voice when the stroking stopped.

Immediately Kaoru shook her head and stared straight into the mirror. She lowered her eyes when she saw that he was staring into her own through their reflection. There was something about his amber eyes that made her seem weak and inferior to him. It was as if he was sucking the rest of her soul and spirit out of her body with his eyes.

"Koishii?" questioned Battousai again as his hold on her slender waist tightened slightly.

"I-I am fine," whispered Kaoru, her voice a bit hoarse from the lack of usage.

The teenager only looked up when the King's fingers held onto her chin and moved her face in his direction so that their gazes locked.

Kaoru could only close her eyes when his breath caressed her face from their closeness and visibly shuddered when his lips graced her own lightly. Normally she would be offended, but the tenderness and quickness of the kiss left her slightly dizzy and incapable of complaining. It was simple yet completely breathtaking. She became solemn when the demanding words of her captor reached her ears.

"Tell me what's on your mind," ordered Battousai as he pulled back and let go of her chin so she could speak freely.

Biting her lower lip, Kaoru shook her head no once again. She dropped her gaze when she saw the anger that flared within his depths of fire. Something within her told her to remain silent as if it were to be her last act of defiance. A part of her, the part that so many others had admired, was refusing to yield to Battousai's wishes and become what he wanted her to be. Her weakening spirit still held onto freedom and was still determined to be released from the King's hold as it was meant to be.

As her mind and spirit seemed to process this, she looked straight into Battousai's eyes and glared as she saw anger replaced by amusement. He had seen something that she was certain he was not supposed to within her eyes. She was an open book to the auburn haired man and the thought didn't please her.

"I was beginning to think that you weren't my Crimson Rose because you had submitted so easily. It seems that you needed only a bit of time to recover from my earlier actions on you," said Battousai when silence became almost unbearable for the girl.

At his reply, Kaoru turned her body completely so that she straddled his hips with her own. Her eyes narrowed as she spoke with pure resentment, "What did you do to me?"

His smirk only made her growl. She could feel herself coming back to life as if the light she had lost had turned on again. It was as if a spell had been lifted from her.

"I applied pressure to one of your vital points and that caused you to temporarily become unconscious. The after effects caused your brain to malfunction for a few moments after you came to," explained Battousai as he once again tightened his hold, which he had never released, on Kaoru's waist.

"Let me guess, you've done this before?" asked Kaoru a bit annoyed as she kept her hands on his torso to keep them at a distance. She wasn't about to let him steal another kiss while she was sober.

"Yes, but it's the first time I've explained it to anyone," admitted Battousai while he fingered the fabric of Kaoru's yukata, his eyes still connected with the replica of his love.

Kaoru frowned and tried to swap away his hands with her own but sighed when he wouldn't let go.

"You know I'm not your Kaoru, don't you?" asked Kaoru a bit irritated. She might as well try and get through to the man while she had his full attention. He needed to understand that she wasn't his past lover.

The moment the words left her mouth she had once again regretted speaking them. The sparkle in Battousai's eyes vanished as quickly as it had appeared and she knew he was struggling with himself even though his face expression was blank. His mask didn't fool her.

Kaoru gave the man once known as Kenshin a sympathetic smile. He had changed things in the name of the one he loved and upon her return she had rejected him. She felt her heart squeeze for how he must have felt when she refused to allow him to believe that his fiancée had returned to him. At least she was able to allow him to keep the charade up for a little while. She would have kept it up if it meant changing the cold-hearted king again, but she knew that she had to go home. Prolonging her departure from him would only make it worse when she had to go back to her own world. In her heart she knew that she would go back one day, no matter how unlikely it seemed right now.

"Please try and comprehend the fact that your love is gone. She died saving your life," said Kaoru as she tried to reassure her host.

When the sentence died on her lips, she went completely still as Battousai's eyes held hers so well that she couldn't break away.

"You are my Crimson Rose. The mark on your wrist says you are," shouted Battousai as he grabbed her left wrist and showed her the symbol of the red rose and the golden heart in the center. "How else would you know so much about our past? Why do you deny it?"

"Why do you deny it?" countered Kaoru as she felt her anger rise again. He had all the evidence yet he still refused to accept the truth.

"I am only stating what I see," said Battousai, his voice unusually calm after his previous display of making a point.

"You only see what you want to see," corrected Kaoru as she would a child. "You know that even if your love did live she wouldn't have remained as young as I am. Prince Kenshin, you know that you didn't place this mark on me or your bride-to-be. There were no slaves at the time when you two were to wed. Please move on, if not for your own sake or your people's, then hers."

At Kaoru's words, Battousai dropped her wrist and hugged her tightly.

"But you're like her in so many ways, Kaoru," said Battousai, his voice muffled in her lavender hair of silk.

ˆˆˆˆˆˆˆ

The blue violet slave finally dared to look up when she didn't feel the usual lash against her and could tell that the Captain before her was staring at her in amusement. Although she couldn't see his eyes, she could make out the slight tug at the man's lips and immediately looked down when she saw that he had begun to frown.

"Your name?" demanded the Captain of the Royal Guard.

"Misao, milord," replied the slave quickly and as politely as she could manage. She didn't dare to look up again and the black stallion the man was riding was staring at her; it wouldn't be a surprise if everyone else was too.

"How did you get that injury?" asked the Captain, this time his voice less insistent. If she didn't know any better, she'd say that the older man was actually concerned. For what important person would care for the well being of a worthless slave?

"An accident, sir," Misao lied; she knew that telling that truth would only get her whipped again.

There was a long silence and still she did not dare move her eyes from the soiled ground. It was the sound of another set of hooves coming their way that made Misao lift her head slightly so she could make out the outfit of yet another Captain.

"Captain Sagara, what is the delay for?" questioned the Third Captain of the Royal Guard in annoyance when his horse came to a halt.

"This violet is bleeding badly and you know that we need our slaves to be in a somewhat good condition to work on the fields all day, right Captain Hajime?" asked Sanosuke instead.

Misao could have sworn that she heard a snort coming from the other man before he barked out the orders, "Get the slave girl some bandages and salve. I don't want to find blood on any of the Black Seeds collected today."

When she was finally pulled away by grumbling guards to the Treating Hut, she heard more than saw the two horses move on down the aisle and couldn't help but smile when she saw the grin on the considerate Captain's face.

_ "I guess not all nobles are evil,"_ thought Misao as she quickened her pace to catch up with the guards. She gave Tsubame and Megumi a reassuring smile before she reached the Treating Hut.

ˆˆˆˆˆˆˆ

"Since when did you learn to make up such great excuses?" asked Saitou sarcastically when they moved on.

"The day I realized that I could get what I want without making a huge scene and still keep the respect of others," answered the Captain with a grin still on his face.

Rolling his eyes, Saitou inquired almost curiously, "Why did you help that blue violet slave? No one of a high ranking status gives a damn about any of the slaves."

Sano simply shrugged his shoulders and dismounted when they reached the end of the rows of people. Giving his reins to one of the guards nearby, Sanosuke wiped off invisible dust from his clothing before facing the Leader of the Royal Guard within this particular area.

"Captain Sagara, Captain Hajime. What can I do for you?" bowed the Leader to both men.

"You can start by telling us what happened earlier today," said Saitou. He was never one to stall.

At those words the Leader bent his head and motioned for them to walk ahead into his personal hut.

Already knowing the direction to go in, Saitou led them towards the Leader's office on this particular Black Seed Field. One of the guards at the door quickly opened it for the three to enter. Not bothering to say thanks, both Captains sat in the chairs seated in front of the Leader's desk.

"I see you've both heard about the Crimson Rose's sudden appearance here in these fields," stated the Leader as he sat down and offered them tea.

Waving it off, Sano demanded, "We don't have all night to linger here. Now tell us what you know."

Nodding, the Leader began his story, "It happened this morning when one of the King's advisors sent a message saying that one of the rose slaves had fled the Black Castle and was thought to be hiding in one of the Black Seed Fields. I immediately ordered a roll call when I received the message and was just about to search the huts when the sla—Crimson Rose revealed herself. She fainted and I carried her off to the Black Castle.

"Earlier I had sent two of my men to go on ahead to announce the Crimson Rose's arrival. When we arrived, my men told me what had transpired within the castle walls. Lord Battousai had said that he made no such mark on anyone and demanded that the maiden be brought to him for personal inspection. I told my co-leader to follow her in and he told me that our King simply ordered him out of the room. Anything else that occurred after their meeting has not reached me."

"That's all that happened?" asked Sano as he took in the information. He was still confused.

"Basically," replied the Leader.

"What do you mean by basically? Tell us everything," ordered Saitou, his patience wearing thin.

The Leader shifted uncomfortably before adding, "On our ride to the Black Castle, the Crimson Rose asked a few peculiar questions as if she didn't know anything about her own position. She even asked about what world she was in. It seemed as if she didn't believe that she was in the Shadow Kingdom."

Sano tapped his chin thoughtfully as he tried to think up a logical reasoning, "If it really is my sister, then she would be use to our kingdom being called the Kingdom of Hope and there were no slaves let alone the title Crimson Rose while she was still with us."

The Leader nodded in understanding before looking down at his table in deep thought.

"Is there any other thoughts you would like to speak aloud?" prodded Saitou when he noticed the look of concentration in the man's face.

"She thought that I didn't hear, but I heard her say that the Shadow Kingdom was a legend. If she really was the Lord's fiancée, then she shouldn't have even ever heard of our kingdom," stated the Leader as he shook his head from side to side.

"See, that's why I'm baffled. I can't find a reasonable explanation on how all of this connects to one another," Sano sighed as he ran his right hand through his hair out of habit.

The Third Captain of the Royal Guard lit a cigarette and blew a smoke ring in the air.

"Any suggestions, Captain?" asked Sano as he turned to face the older man.

"We could always ask the girl ourselves. A brother wishing to speak with his sister wouldn't cause any questions," said Saitou after taking another whiff of his cigarette calmly.

Grinning Sano stood up and quickly moved to leave the hut. He paused only when he noticed that Saitou wasn't following him and demanded a bit irritated, "Are you coming?"

"After I finish my cigar, Sagara," answered Saitou as he relaxed into his chair, showing that he wasn't going anywhere any time soon.

Rolling his eyes, Sano left the hut to announce that they were leaving soon. He knew that Saitou already knew he wouldn't leave without him. Why else would Saitou stay within the hut while he was outside and could easily ride off to the Black Castle?

Patting his horse, Sagara Sanosuke waited for his comrade to come out of the hut.

ˆˆˆˆˆˆˆ

Kaoru didn't know how long Battousai held onto her, but when she felt his lips on her neck she felt her head grow dizzy again at the sensation he was emitting through her body. She suddenly became conscious of how close they really were and could feel her curves fit perfectly within his muscular body. The only thing separating them at the moment were their clothes.

Blushing when she felt Battousai's hands trailing her curves, Kaoru pulled back and shook her head.

"I'm not who you think I am," insisted Kaoru as she tried to get off his lap, but his hands held her down securely.

"I won't let you go again," said Battousai while he pulled her closer until her head was on his chest.

Only when she was certain his hands wouldn't wonder did she relax in his hold and play with the fabric of his clothing. It was then that she realized just how silky the feeling of his and her own clothing were.

"You haven't eaten," stated the King of Shadow Kingdom suddenly as he easily lifted her off his lap and placed her on the edge of the bed.

Kaoru raised a brow when Battousai stood up and walked behind the screen in the far right corner of the room. The man was full of mysteries. One moment he was silent, then demanding, stubborn, and now considerate. Predictable obviously wasn't one of his traits.

Giving up and just letting him do as he pleased seemed so much easier than denying him. At least if she did give up, she'd never have to worry about taking any tests or doing any hard labor. She was certain Battousai would take care of her every need. If she wasn't so hell bent on returning back to her needing family, she would have gladly decided to stay and become the princess any girl in her world could only wish to be.

Before her mind could wander off any more than it already did, a red and white kimono floated into her lap. She stared at the rose design on the soft material before staring up at the amber eyed King. Now that he was standing directly in front of her, she was finally able to make out what exactly he was wearing. The blood red cape he had worn was now covering his entire frame and his black boots didn't even click when they touched the ground with each agile step he took.

"You want to look beautiful in the presence of others, don't you?" asked Battousai when he noticed that she was staring at him.

Nodding dumbly, Kaoru almost moved to take off her yukata when she remembered that Battousai was still in the room. She looked at him expectantly to give her privacy, but he didn't seem like he was about to leave any time soon.

"Behind the screen is a cloak for you to wear. The stones that make up the castle tends to make this place colder," said Battousai.

When his words registered, Kaoru blushed. The reason why he didn't leave was that he expected her to change before the screen. Why else was it placed in the corner?

Getting up, Kaoru was grateful to find that she was walking on carpet instead of stone. With the kimono in her arms she walked over to the screen and went behind it to change while Battousai waited patiently for her to finish.

ˆˆˆˆˆˆˆ


	6. Chapter Six

** Disclaimer:** I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

** Crimson Rose**

** _Written By DemonicShdAngel_**

** _Chapter Six_**

* * *

The Treating Hut wasn't much different than any of the other huts on the Black Seed Field, apart from the nice furniture, medicine bottles on the shelves, and cabinets filled with other things Misao couldn't name, it was pretty much the same as the blue violet slaves' huts.

When the guards placed her down on the bed in the center of the hut, they immediately left when an older doctor walked in. The old man greeted her warmly and went straight to work after seeing her deep wound.

"Slide your clothes off of the wounded area only," ordered the doctor as he went to get some bandages, a bowl of clean water, and a slender bottle from one of the shelves on the walls.

Doing as she was told, Misao carefully peeled her clothes away from the bloody cut, grimacing every time she accidentally touched it with her calloused fingers.

"How did you manage to get such a nasty injury?" questioned the gray bearded doctor when he came back to her side and placed the collected items on behind her sitting form.

"I was stretching a tad bit too long and got whipped for it," answered Misao truthfully, biting her lower lip to stop herself from screaming when the doctor moved a water soaked towel on her wound.

"You're a strong girl if you managed to get here without fainting. It seems you've lost a lot of blood," commented the doctor as he cleansed the soon-to-be scar of blood.

Misao closed her eyes as pain electrocuted through her body from her left shoulder and didn't even noticed the taste of blood entering her mouth from her teeth wearing away her lower lip.

"I know that it hurts, but this is the only way to make sure it doesn't get infected," said the old man while he rinsed out the blood soaked towel in the bowl.

He left the towel in the now red water and grabbed another one as he unscrewed the top off of the bottle he had gotten from the shelf.

"This is going to sting and I suggest you stop chewing on your lip before you bite it off when I apply the disinfectant," warned the doctor as he poured a bit of the clear contents in the bottle onto the gray worn towel.

Misao nodded and gritted her teeth together as she kept her eyes close to wait for the pain to multiply. Her right hand holding the side of the bed tightened as she squeezed her eyes shut and tried her best not to scream and cry when the disinfectant was applied to her wound. She couldn't hold back the whimpers and unconscious tears that rolled down her cheeks as her body shuddered from the experience. If she had known it would be this bad she wouldn't have gone to the Treating Hut.

"There, all done. I'll wrap your wound and then you can leave," reassured the elder man as he placed the used towel on top of the red one.

Nodding numbly, Misao kept her eyes closed as her injury was dressed. She reminded herself again and again to thank the Captain of the Royal Guard when the next she meant him. As much as she despised being in debt to anyone, she owed the man for his kindness.

ˆˆˆˆˆˆˆ

Kaoru pulled the white cloak closer to her as she followed Battousai down the freezing stone hallways towards the Dining Hall. The Emperor of the Shadow Kingdom hadn't been joking when he said that the stones made the castle colder and if it weren't for the torches that lit the hallway, she was certain she would have been able to see her breath. At least the flames from their only source of light kept the temperature decent enough so that it was tolerable.

"Would you prefer to dine in my chambers?" asked Battousai when he noticed that his Crimson Rose was shivering from the lack of heat in the Black Castle.

Kaoru stopped at the offer before asking, "What about your guests?"

"Guests?" questioned Battousai.

"You said that I should dress well in the presence of others," said Kaoru, reminding the King of what he told her earlier.

"I was referring to the red rose slaves. Those in the castle with a higher rank dress better than the slaves and I doubt a yukata would have kept you warm outside of the room," explained Battousai as if he were speaking to a confused child.

"Shall we turn back around then?" asked Kaoru, ready to move back to where they had come from.

"My bedroom is past the Dining Hall and deeper to the right. You were staying in one of the rooms in the Guests' Quarters," said Battousai, taking a hold of her right wrist before she could take another step.

Kaoru blushed and cursed herself for jumping to conclusions all the time. She should have known that a King's room would be much larger and more finely decorated than the one she had slept in earlier. It seemed as if her brain wasn't functioning correctly today.

Feeling a tug at her wrist, Kaoru quickly turned from her motion to return to their old room and followed Battousai. She was certain that she would end up getting lost if she somehow managed to get separated from him, although she doubted the King would let her out of his sight for long.

"I'll have the food delivered to us and our bedroom isn't as cold as it is out here," said Battousai once Kaoru walked beside him, his hand moving from her wrist to her hand.

"Our bedroom?" gulped Kaoru hesitantly, ignoring the fact that they were walking hand in hand with Battousai gaining lead again.

"Where else did you think you'd be sleeping?" countered Battousai with a grin.

Kaoru groaned inwardly; it was going to be a long night.

ˆˆˆˆˆˆˆ

"What the hell is taking that wolf so long?" asked the Captain of the Royal Guards, his tone indicating his exasperation on having to wait so long.

His hand brushed through his horse's mane and smiled as it neighed, bumping its head into his back.

"Yeah, I want to get going too, but we have to wait for the Wolf," said Sano, trying to calm down his stallion.

Running a hand through his already messy hair, Sano took in the scene before him and sighed. It was all the same wherever he went: slaves working until they couldn't move and in the end their efforts being stomped all over by the remarks of their superiors.

Slaves were at the bottom and were meant to be stepped on, or at least that's what everyone else with a high rank had been taught. It had been this way for so long that anyone who wanted to go against it would end up becoming a slave as well. There really was no point in making your life miserable for some pathetic soul who wasn't as fortunate.

Sano snapped out of his thoughts as the sound of footsteps reached his ears. Turning in the direction of the sound, Sano smiled when he saw that it was the same girl he had sent to the Treating Hut earlier. Her clothes were still covered in dry blood, but at least from her state she didn't seem to be bleeding or in much pain.

"Milord," greeted the blue violet slave, quickly bowing low as she got on her knees to make a kowtow.

"No, please don't! There's no need to do such a thing," said Sanosuke quickly as he moved away from his horse and rushed over to her and touched her right shoulder before she could touch her forehead to the ground.

He could only stare down as the girl looked at him at confusion and noticed that she was avoiding his eyes. If he wasn't in the presence of the other guards in the area he would have slapped himself on the forehead for not remembering that slaves were forbidden to look at their owners in the eyes, let alone someone of his status.

Quickly realizing another mistake he had made by touching the girl, Sano moved his hand away from her shoulder and stood up straight as was expected

"There's really no need. Kowtows are reserved mostly for the King. I wouldn't want anyone to think that I was being too full of myself," explained Sano, making up the best excuse he could for not wanting to be bowed to like that. Seeing others submit so easily always did leave him feeling a bit guilty.

"It was my mistake, milord. Please forgive this unworthy one and accept another bow as a thank you for your kindness," said the girl, her long braid swaying in the wind as she made and finished another kowtow anyways.

Sighing at the girl's stubborn behavior to thank him, Sano ran his fingers through his hair again out of habit.

His eyes fell on the rags she wore as working clothes when the girl stood up and frowned. He was certain she would have gotten an infection from her wound with that dirty of clothing covering it.

"Is your shoulder alright now? Do you think that you can get back to work or would you rather rest for the night?" asked Sano, ignoring the looks of the other guards that happened to walk by.

Seeing the girl blush and then look at the ground out of embarrassment, he couldn't help but smile weakly at the slave when she answered, "I can get back to work."

Nodding when he noticed her determination to not being seen as a weakling, he waved a dismissive hand towards the fields where the other slaves were currently working.

Sano watched on silently while the blue violet slave quickly bowed her head and raced quickly towards the closest field to begin picking the Black Seeds again.

"If you admire the girl so much, turn her into a red rose slave and get it over with."

The snide remark made the Captain turn around and glare at the amber eyed man. Saitou always did have a way of making an unwanted entrance.

"Can we get going now, or are you not done smoking yet?" snapped Sano as he walked back over to his horse and made a move to mount it.

"Lord Battousai will not be expecting us if we head to the Black Castle now. He'll most likely be with the Crimson Rose and if you wish to confront the issue now, then we'll leave," said Saitou calmly as he walked over to his own horse, his movement's precise and screamed perfection.

"It's either now or never and I doubt our King is going to think anything less when the Crimson Rose doesn't recognize her own brother," stated Sano with a shrug as he got on his horse.

Not bothering to say anything more, the two Captains rode off towards their new destination.

ˆˆˆˆˆˆˆ

Kaoru felt the air in lungs vanish as she stepped into the King of Shadow Kingdom's room. It was three times the size of her apartment and twice as tall. The room was filled with the most beautiful and elegant of things, even if all of it was black or red.

Blood red velvet curtains hid the tall windows from view and the canopy around the large bed in the center was made of black silk. Around the room were numerous ornaments, various hanging weapons, and even a fireplace before the bed. Connected to the large room were even more doors, which Kaoru could only guess led to the bathroom and closet.

"Do you like it?" asked Battousai as he led her inside, not bothering to take off his boots as they stepped on the black carpet that covered the floor of the entire room.

"It's gorgeous," gasped Kaoru as she found her voice. She never really was into dark colors, but the way the room was arranged and decorated, she couldn't help but love it. There wasn't too much dark red and there wasn't too much black; it was perfect. If it came down to her having to stay for the rest of her life in the Shadow Kingdom, she was sure she could get use to it.

Battousai chuckled at her response and closed the door behind them. He let go of her hand that was still in his and encouraged her with a smile to take a closer look at the entire room.

Taking the silent invitation, Kaoru walked deeper in the room by herself and stared at the walls, which had caught her attention when she first saw Battousai's sleeping chambers. Her eyes fell on the wall where the fireplace was and noticed that this was the one where she had seen all the weapons. She noticed that the swords that hung on the walls were arranged according to length from the top to the bottom where the longest, and seemingly the most dangerous, were placed. It wasn't until she looked closer that she noticed that each sword had a dragon engraved on its sheath. The golden color of the dragons made the wall stand out more so than the darkness of the rest of the room.

Turning around, Kaoru noticed that the wall to the bed's right had numerous shelves that touched the ceiling, all of which were filled with nothing but books and more books. There was a set of ebony chairs beside the wall and a low table in between with a tea set in the centre of the dark cherry wood-carved table.

On the opposite wall a single painting of a red rose with an onyx background and the frame that held the magnificent piece of art was made of rubies embedded into silver that made up the borders of the frame. The painting took up most of the wall, but underneath it was a table that held various ornaments, such as vases with black roses, chests, and even a mirror.

The last wall behind the bed however, made Kaoru frown. It was completely empty except for the same black paint that covered the others.

"I haven't decided what to place there yet. The red rose slaves should be coming here soon with our dinner," said Battousai as he motioned for Kaoru to sit before the burning fire, where a table like those of traditional Japanese low end ones was placed.

Kaoru went down on her knees on a black round cushion and straightened when Battousai sat beside her.

"You didn't order the…servants to bring the food to your—our room," said Kaoru, correcting herself as she spoke. She doubted that she'd be able to get use to using a few of the words that others seemed so comfortable in using in their every day vocabulary.

"They saw us walk pass the Dining Hall and I didn't eat dinner. Most have worked here long enough to know what's expected of them," said Battousai calmly as he took two upside down cups from the tea set on the table and flipped them over.

Old customs that her family kept returning, Kaoru took the cups and placed one in front of Battousai before herself. She carefully took the warm teapot from its spot and made sure to pour Battousai's tea and then her own.

"You've done this before," stated Battousai as he watched her finish pouring her own cup and then place the teapot back.

Kaoru blushed slightly at the acknowledgement and nodded. She doubted he would understand her if she started babbling about where she really came from. If she didn't know better, she would have thought she was thrown back into Japan's past. Most of the items were the same, the clothing, the designs, the respect of those with higher ranking than oneself, and Kaoru would bet her left arm that they probably had some of the same traditions from Battousai's smile at what she had just done.

A comfortable silence filled the room until a knock on the door was heard.

Getting up with one swift motion, Battousai walked over to the door and opened it. Instead of the red rose slaves that were expected, the couple was greeted by two men bearing what looked like a badge to signify their ranking among those in the Shadow Kingdom.

"Lord Battousai," said the two in unison as they bowed to their waste to their King.

Upon seeing the two at the door, Kaoru had gotten to her feet and walked over before standing beside Battousai as it was accustomed when greeting others with your partner. Even if she really wasn't anything to Battousai, she wasn't about to disappoint him in front of others. If she was going to play the part of the Crimson Rose, she had to go along with it all the way. Well as long as it didn't require her to do something embarrassing anyways.

From her new angle, Kaoru was able to make out the brown spiky hair of one and the neatly combed black hair of the other. They were both wearing what looked like uniforms and each looked quite proud in bearing what looked like a golden dragon medallion on their attire. Kaoru had no doubt that it was Battousai's symbol from the dragon's painted on the sheaths of the weapons that adorned one of the walls.

She immediately felt comfortable when the shorter of the two smiled at her and noticed that his chocolate eyes were almost sparkling at seeing her.

"Milady," said the man as he bowed to her as well, his partner doing the same.

Kaoru felt herself becoming uncomfortable. She always did when someone bowed to her in a manner of showing to her that she was more important them. Sure she was use to bowing out of respect to others back home, but this was a bit too much. She didn't want to seem more powerful than anyone else; she just wanted to be her. But as long as she was the Crimson Rose, she wasn't going to get any other treatment than the utmost respect and obedience from others.

She was grateful for Battousai having them stand straight with one motion of his hands.

"Milord, I came as quickly as I heard of my sister's return. If you are busy, then I'll return tomorrow afternoon?" suggested the man who had smiled to her.

Kaoru froze slightly as she heard his words and didn't hear anything past him being her brother. How was she supposed to act in front of him? There was no way she could fool the man who knew the real Crimson Rose since he was young.

The only reason she was even still here at the moment was because Battousai refused to believe that she wasn't his Crimson Rose. What had she gotten herself into for following along?

"It's alright, we're about to have dinner. Captain Sagara, Captain Hajime, will you two care to join us?" asked Battousai as he turned around and led the way back to the table, the others following.

Kaoru, once seated beside Battousai, eyed the two weary men curiously as they walked slowly over to the table. It was as if the two hadn't really expected the kind offer from their ruler.

When the two had sat down, Kaoru unconsciously gave them the remaining two teacups and poured tea for them. She gave them a warm smile when they thanked her and was glad that the younger one returned it.

Before the four could start a conversation, the doors to the room were opened and seven red rose slaves came in with places in their hands. Kaoru gave a nod to the slaves when they placed her meal before her. She looked down at her food when she noticed that the one known as Captain Sagara was still smiling at her.

"How have you been, Kaoru?" asked Sanosuke once the slaves left.

"Fine, thank you," replied Kaoru politely as possible when she looked up and met her 'brother's' eyes.

Just as the situation seemed to become awkward, Battousai questioned the two men before him, "Have the rounds around the Kingdom been well?"

It was Saitou who answered, "Quite well, Lord Battousai. However, the living conditions of the slaves have become worse and now the number of slaves has decreased. I fear the Harvest of the Black Seeds might not be as profitable as it was last year."

"I believe that if we allow the slaves to have food of better quality, they'll be able to fair better next year and if possible, more working clothes for the winter," added Sanosuke.

"It wouldn't hurt to give them more blankets during the colder seasons. Those who don't get enough warmth in extremely cold temperatures end up dying and with so little body fat, the slaves would die rather quickly. I wouldn't be surprise if the deaths are caused by having so many slaves in such close quarters; disease is bound to spread when people are crammed together in dirty conditions," said Kaoru as she put in her two cents, ignoring the stares she was receiving from the two Captains and the amused look on the King's face.

Kaoru turned her head towards Battousai almost expectantly and was a bit surprised to see that her little speech got the King to agree.

"Send out a new shipment of food, clothing, and blankets tomorrow in honor of the Crimson Rose's return," ordered Battousai before taking his first bite of their dinner.

Seeing that their Lord had begun to eat, the others ate in quiet agreement.

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End file.
